Page 18 of Resting Witch Face
“Ha, ha. I’m sitting right here, so let’s not talk about me in third person, mmm-kay? Can we get to the point?” It was a hard task not to fidget under River’s intense gaze, but I managed.
Sissily raised a finger when the barista called her name, our coffees ready before we even thought about ordering. “River, what do you want?” she asked him, her ass halfway off her seat already.
“Double espresso, please. Black.” My forehead pinched when he ordered the same thing as me while he shoved dollar bills in Sissily’s hand. “I said I’m buying.” He waved her off when she protested.
“Everyone apart from the human police officer,” he said to me in a low tone when Sissily rushed to grab our drinks.
“What?” If my eyebrows went any lower, I could’ve used them as eyelids.
“You were not prickly with the cop.” The melted chocolate of his irises darkened, and I involuntarily gulped, which pissed me off. “As a matter a fact, I remember you being very touchy-feely with the human.”
“My personal life does not concern you, River.” I bet Amber and Alex would’ve been proud if they heard my growl. “Stay out of it.”
“You see, Hazel,” he drawled as if to point out the fact that I’d skipped the formalities first by using his name. I seethed in my chair. “The way I see it, at this point, everything concerns me when it comes to you.”
“Like hell—”
“I couldn’t care less what you do and who you do it with as long as we keep things as they are past Saturday.” He spoke over me just as Sissily returned, placing our coffees on the table. I expected him to stop with her there, but as always, he surprised me. “Until then, I don’t trust anyone around you.”
Sissily cocked an eyebrow.
“Apart from you, obviously,” Blondie amended.
Amber was throwing cautious glances our way, so I forced a smile, giving her a thumbs-up to let her know we were good. That lady was one in a million being able to run a business, chat with her regulars, and still keep an eye on us. There was no doubt if she thought something was wrong, her mate would be looming over our table in less than five minutes. It was a mystery how the Alpha managed to do things but never be far from his mate.
“Let’s hear it, River. I’m tired, hungry, and starting to get bored. What’s this conspiracy you mentioned.” After everything that happened—and it wasn’t dinner time yet—my patience was nonexistent.
“There’s been talk about covens taking too much power, and it’s time for other factions to take over the enforcing of the law,” he started barely above a whisper, making me lean toward him to hear better.
“I bet the vamps will love that, won’t they,” Sissily hissed, while I grimaced when I chugged the coffee and blistered the roof of my mouth. “Do you need a bib?” she snapped.
“No, but you might if I punch you in the nose.” My fingers wiggled in the glass of water she wisely provided to fish out an ice cube. I thought my tongue was burned too, not just the roof of my mouth. “How come we knew nothing about it? That sounds like some shit Danika would be all over,” I mumbled around the ice in my mouth.
It felt like the cube got stuck in my throat when I saw the pitying look on River’s face, but it didn’t take him long to school his features into a blank mask. Sissily reached for my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and those treacherous tears prickled the back of my eyes. Right, Danika didn’t share important things with a dud. How silly of me to assume otherwise. For some reason, I found myself staring at the cufflinks around River’s wrists where he had his forearms pressed on the table.
I guess it wasn’t just me playing the “dress to impress” card.
And I was deflecting.
“What do I have to do with any of it?” The ice shattered with a loud crunch in my mouth when I chomped on it angrily. “I’ll cheer whoever it is on if they stop those assholes from hunting rogues and ferals. If I’m not allowed to do it, they shouldn’t be either. Someone else takes over, my coven can’t hold my lack of magic over my head. Where do I sign?”
“It’s not that simple.” River cocked his head, eyeing me like I’d grown horns or a second head. “The shifters want nothing to do with it unless it involves their packs. The Fae are so paranoid about protecting their magic that it’ll be anarchy before you know it, which leaves the demons and the vampires. If the demons take over, we will regret the days we were born. If the vampires take the mantle, it’ll be us doing all the hard work again with nothing to show for it. It’s a no-win situation, so might as well keep everything the way it is.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” My arms crossed defensively over my chest, squishing my boobs. Sissily had a thoughtful look on her face I really didn’t like. “I want nothing to do with the politics of our world, and I never have.” But I knew what was up. He didn’t need to spell it out for me.
They wanted Danika out of the picture, and I was their way in.
“Let’s not pretend that my grandmother will sit back and let them do whatever to protect me. Danika will die before allowing anyone to blackmail her or take her coven. You should feel sorry for those who try, not be worried about me.” Feeling the urge to point out the pink elephant in the room, I huffed in annoyance. “She will never choose me over the coven. You know it, I know it, and everyone else knows it. If their plan is to hit her through me, I actually feel sorry for the idiots.”
Sissily said nothing to that because I spoke the truth.
“I think you are wrong,” River argued, but he didn’t sound like he believed it himself.
I debated if I should tell him that I heard half of the conversation he had with my grandmother but decided against it. Something nagged at me to keep my mouth shut, and for now, I would listen.
“We can still prepare for Saturday the way we planned.” Sissily speared me with a pointed look, though she didn’t go into details about our crazy plan in front of Blondie. “If that doesn’t work, we will play it by ear. We work best under pressure, anyway.” Her shrug was twitchy betraying her unease.
“We”—My finger flicked between us—“are not playing, period. If it doesn’t work, you are getting your ass out of there and pretending you don’t know me from Adam. Understand?”
